March 13, 2016

Aloha from the Aloha State and Mary Deal



The 5 main islands of Hawaii trail hundreds of little islands in the archipelago to the north. Hawaii is the most remote land mass on earth. The Hawaiian culture is kept alive and well here through hula and beautiful music, Bette Midler from Honolulu among many. Each island offers free and paid hula shows and fairly authentic luaus. Golf courses are everywhere, and quaint eating places most tourists never see.

At the northern end is Kauai County which encompasses Niihau Island inhabited only by native Hawaiians. I lived on Kauai for nearly 20 years. This island has more beaches than all the other islands combined. A bike and walking path runs for miles along the beach offering blue water and sky all the way! The Taro fields in Hanalei grow the root bulbs to make Poi, a staple.


Hanalei is where Peter, Paul and Mary wrote the song Puff, The Magic Dragon, about Hanalei. Poipu on the South Shore is filled with attractions of Old Hawaii. On the West Side, old plantation towns still exist from the days of growing sugar cane. On the West side the stunning Napali Lava Cliffs offer the 12-mile Kalalau Trail at 1,000 to 5,000 foot elevations with stunning views and waterfalls.

Honolulu, the state capital where I live now, on the island of Oahu, offers Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach bordered by high rise hotels and condos. It’s also known as the hub of the Pacific. The sprawling Ala Moana Shopping Mall was the largest mall in the world when it opened in 1959. The Food Court offers 30 restaurants with more choices of exotic foods than you can imagine, like steamed chicken manapua. It’s a puffy white rice flour bun filled with chicken and vegetables. Hawaii being the hub of the Pacific, local eateries and cuisines are endless.

 Maui is the next island south and that county includes the island of Molokai, mostly populated by islanders. All the Molokai beaches there are private. This county also includes the small island of Lanai. Maui offers pineapple plantations and Haleakala Crater for hiking, I`o Needle in the rain forest, and Molokini atoll out in the sea for snorkeling and diving. The old whaling town is Lahaina offers restored whaling ships that sit in the harbor for tourists to visit. Up country Maui is all cowboy.
 
The southern-most island , called The Big Island, is actually named Hawaii Island. It is being built ever larger by lava eruptions from the Kilauea caldera inside Halemau`mau Crater on the south side. The famous Kona Coast runs along the west side. The town of Hilo on the southeast experienced a massive tsunami a few decades back and many places still show pictures and history of the ruins. The big Parker Ranch lies on the northern tip. It’s famous for its beef cattle. Meat eaters vie for some island beef when dining anywhere in The Islands. So much to see and do awaits the tourist to these islands. All of this fun is but the tip of beauty of the Islands.
Mary is offering TWO winners a choice of her latest nonfiction titled, Hypno-Scripts: Life-Changing Techniques Using Self-Hypnosis and Meditation.

Mary Deal is an award-winning novelist. She is also an artist and photographer, inspired by The Islands. She enjoys meeting friends who visit The Islands and will help to assure their vacation is memorable.


Find Her Online:
Amazon Author Page: http://tinyurl.com/3z8pm3f

Her Art Galleries:
Mary Deal Fine Art: http://www.marydealfineart.com
Island Image Gallery: http://www.islandimagegallery.com
Mary Deal Fine Art and Photography: https://www.facebook.com/MDealArt 
(All information provided by author)

8 comments:

  1. The rich orange melon sank into the pacific. We watched with awe and some of the best sushi I'd ever eaten. It was our last night in Honolulu, and to be honest, we were happy to be leaving. We aren't beach people. Want to make us happy? Give us theater and classical music. Still, the floral arrangement that is Hawaii is beautiful. The whale watching had been fun. The helicopter view of Kauai had been spectacular. The food had been at best adequate to our gourmet expectations, but yes this was some great sushi.

    "Wo you think we'll ever return?"

    "To Hawaii?"

    "Yes."

    "NO!" Then she softened, just for a moment. "Well, maybe in another life. I wouldn't mind being one of those great whales off the boat."

    "I suppose," I scratched my beard, "as long as there are no harpoons around. That wouldn't be so bad."

    She laughed. "You're no whale, My Dear, maybe one of the chickens running wild on Kauai."

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  2. I was privileged to meet Mary Deal in person Christmas 2014. She is not only a great writer but also a talented artist and photographer with enough energy to put most of us to shame. During the week we were there, she and Ron showed us around Oahu and introduced us to Wakiki Beach, the island tour, the pineapple plantation and whip, a luau and the night before we left, fireworks on the beach! If you haven't visited Hawaii, put it on your bucket list. If you haven't read Mary Deal, load up your TBR basket.

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  3. Mary, your virtual tour of my favorite place on earth brought back feelings of awe and gratitude as well as some beautiful memories of time spent there. You had a big job to do- to introduce or remind Annette's visitors and readers about all the topography and attractions on all the major islands- and you did a great job. Aloha and mahalo!

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  4. Hawaii sounds absolutely beautiful!
    Your books sound intriguing too.

    Good luck and God's blessings.
    PamT

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  5. I was excited to read your information about Hawaii, my husband I are discussing options of a trip!

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  6. Great post, Mary! I've never been to Hawaii but, oh how I wish I could visit. Well, maybe someday. . . . :)

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  7. A former writing instructor of mine, Linda Nagata, lives in Hawaii ... I've never been able to think of it as anything but paradise. If I lived there--as long as I stayed off the mountains--I could avoid ever seeing snow!

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  8. What a great post! The Hawaiian Islands are definitely my favorite destination. We go to Kauai every other year, and Oahu two or three times a year. Just last October, we visited the Big Island and Parker Ranch. Awesome, all. Maui was our second honeymoon. Thanks for bringing back so many memories. Congrats on your books!!

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